diff --git a/templates/zerver/api/construct-narrow.md b/templates/zerver/api/construct-narrow.md
index 048c45104e..e820d17251 100644
--- a/templates/zerver/api/construct-narrow.md
+++ b/templates/zerver/api/construct-narrow.md
@@ -2,14 +2,14 @@
 
 A **narrow** is a set of filters for Zulip messages, that can be based
 on many different factors (like sender, stream, topic, search
-keywords, etc.).  Narrows are used in various places in the the Zulip
+keywords, etc.). Narrows are used in various places in the the Zulip
 API (most importantly, in the API for fetching messages).
 
 It is simplest to explain the algorithm for encoding a search as a
-narrow using a single example.  Consider the following search query
-(written as it would be entered in the Zulip web app's search box).  It
-filters for messages sent on stream `announce`, not sent by
-`iago@zulip.com`, and containing the phrase `cool sunglasses`:
+narrow using a single example. Consider the following search query
+(written as it would be entered in the Zulip web app's search box).
+It filters for messages sent to stream `announce`, not sent by
+`iago@zulip.com`, and containing the words `cool` and `sunglasses`:
 
 ```
 stream:announce -sender:iago@zulip.com cool sunglasses
@@ -36,25 +36,38 @@ as a list of simple objects, as follows:
 ]
 ```
 
-The full set of search/narrowing options supported by the Zulip API is
-documented in [the Zulip Help Center article on
-search](/help/search-for-messages).  There are a few additional
-options, new in Zulip 2.1, that we don't document there because they
-are primarily useful to API clients:
+The Zulip help center article on [searching for messages](/help/search-for-messages)
+documents the majority of the search/narrow options supported by the
+Zulip API.
+
+Note that many narrows, including all that lack a `stream` or `streams`
+operator, search the current user's personal message history. See
+[searching shared history](/help/search-for-messages#searching-shared-history)
+for details.
+
+## Narrows that use IDs
+
+The `near` and `id` operators, documented in the help center, use message
+IDs for their operands.
+
+* `near:12345`: Search messages around the message with ID `12345`.
+* `id:12345`: Search for only message with ID `12345`.
+
+There are a few additional narrow/search options (new in Zulip 2.1)
+that use either stream IDs or user IDs that are not documented in the
+help center because they are primarily useful to API clients:
 
-* `sender:1234`: Search messages sent by user ID `1234`.
 * `stream:1234`: Search messages sent to the stream with ID `1234`.
+* `sender:1234`: Search messages sent by user ID `1234`.
 * `pm-with:1234`: Search the private message conversation between
   you and user ID `1234`.
 * `pm-with:1234,5678`: Search the private message conversation between
   you, user ID `1234`, and user ID `5678`.
-* `group-pm-with:1234`: Search all (group) private messages that
-  include user ID `1234`.
-* `pm-with:1234,5678`: Search all (group) private messages that
-  include user ID `1234` and user ID `5678`.
+* `group-pm-with:1234`: Search all group private messages that
+  include you and user ID `1234`.
 
 The operands for these search options must be encoded either as an
-integer ID or a JSON list of integer IDs.  For example, to query
+integer ID or a JSON list of integer IDs. For example, to query
 messages sent by a user 1234 to a PM thread with yourself, user 1234,
 and user 5678, the correct JSON-encoded query is: